In this week’s episode

Robert ponders finding meaning in the absurdities of our lives. On the news front, we debate whether Google’s new ad-blocking plan is a heaven-sent digital experience or a play that’s hell-bent on keeping the company’s monopoly in place? We also discuss the craft brewing industry’s fury over Anheuser-Busch’s purchase of an indie community forum. Our rants and raves include authenticity and licensing revenue; then we close the show with an example of the week from McKinsey Quarterly.

Why webinars help marketers win – As content marketers, we’re a bit like triathletes. Thankfully, webinars help us as we compete for mind share across content formats. The research is clear: An effective webinar engages customers, builds thought leadership, and sells products. In this e-book, we’ll show you how to attract and engage your audience, create your webinar content, and interact authentically with customers.Start rocking your lead gen with webinars.

Show details

(00:01): An advertising blast from the past: “Nothing else is Silly Putty”

(01:00): Robert muses on this week’s theme: Finding meaning among the absurdities of life

(05:50): Welcome to Episode 187: Recorded live on June 11, 2017 (Running time: 59:53)

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Rants and raves

(38:10): Robert’s rave No. 1: Marketing strategist Jack Trout wrote one of the most important business books in the last 50 years, in which he coined the phrase “brand positioning.” His work has meant a lot to Robert over the years, so upon Trout’s recent passing, we reflect on his insightful wisdom on this subject. (Source: AdAge)

(41:35): Robert’s rave No. 2: Tying into the concept of branding, Robert also heaps high praise on a recent Content Marketing Institute blog post, written by Jonathan Crossfield, which speaks to the essential nature of authenticity. (Source: Content Marketing Institute)

(44:06): Joe’s rave: If you are a fan of storytelling and creative design, the Cincinnati Science Museum’s new Star Wars costume exhibit is a must-see. But it’s the illustrated history of action-figure innovator Kenner’s role in merchandising the franchise that I found to be truly out of this world.

This Old Marketing example of the week

(51:40): McKinsey has long been renowned as a global leader when it comes to helping top executives stay at the cutting edge of business and economic trends. Upon a recent exploration of the company, Robert discovered that it has been producing its landmark publication, McKinsey Quarterly, since 1964. Featuring articles written by a pool of top management consultants, as well as other notable marketing experts, McKinsey Quarterly had earned a reputation as being somewhat elitist and esoteric; however, Robert has found that, over the last several years, the company is coming down from its ivory tower to provide more practical, pragmatic insights and advice, making it a This Old Marketing example that content marketers at any level can benefit from.

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Author: Joe Pulizzi

Joe Pulizzi considers himself the poster boy for content marketing. Founder of the Content Marketing Institute , Joe evangelizes content marketing around the world through keynotes, articles, tweets and his books, including best-selling Epic Content Marketing (McGraw-Hill) and the new book, Content Inc. Check out Joe’s two podcasts. If you want to get on his good side, send him something orange. For more on Joe, check out his personal site or follow him on Twitter @JoePulizzi.